¶ The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning (Juan Cole - à propos de The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning par Dan P. McAdams)
With all his faults, how did it come to pass that President Trump has a fervent base of millions of followers? First, Trump supporters deny that he lies or claim he doesn’t lie very much. Others dismiss the allegations that Trump lies, blaming it on the Democrats and the leftist press. Second, some of his followers remark that Trump “tells it like it is.” His heart is in the right place though he may lie “about the details.” Third, some supporters say Trump’s claims could be true. When Trump lied about the size of the inauguration crowd, Kellyanne Conway responded that horrible weather kept his followers away. Fourth, Trump may be a con man, however, he’s our con man. This may account for the number of Republican senators and representatives who know that Trump bends the truth, but they must support him for fear of losing their next election.
Five, some supporters argue that Trump is a different kind of person whose rules do not apply to him. For some, Trump has superhuman powers that allow him to do what other politicians do not dare. Would George W. Bush or Barack Obama have survived their presidency if they had bragged on camera that they grabbed a woman’s genitals or stated they trusted Vladimir Putin more than their own intelligence agencies? A number of white evangelical Christians like Jerry Falwell Jr. see Trump as a kind of savior sent to save the country from radical Muslim terrorists and the erosion of Christian values.